Original subtitles

[stately music]

[clock ticking]

[snoring]

- What on earth?

- Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Hudson.

Just wanted the paper.

- Well the lass has read it.

With her ladyship out on a call,

surely I can be allowed five minutes, Rose.

- It's for Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Hudson.

- Miss Elizabeth?

What does she want with The Times newspaper?

- She wants to see the business bit about stocks

and shares and that.

- Absolute nonsense.

Another of her crazies, I suppose.

What'll it be next?

- Football, perhaps.

Chelsea for the cup.

- There is no cause for you to be impertinent, Rose.

Off you go, now.

- I got it. - Oh, good.

Cafiers lively but unreliable.

Nervous profit-taking eroded their true values.

A bullish sentiment prevailing in American rails.

Some operators burnt their fingers in Balkan Oil.

- Ooh.

- Oh, I'm afraid that's me.

Beware of dabbling in Balkan Oil, Rose.

- I'm sure I don't know what you see in all that.

It sounds like a foreign language to me.

- It is.

Mr. Karekin is teaching it to me.

- Oh? Thought you said you didn't like him.

- No, I don't exactly like him,

but he has got a sort of animal magnetism.

And he is being very helpful about my investments.

Great Aunt Marion left me a few shares

and it's most important that I understand

all about the city so that I can make money on them.

- I'd have thought you had enough of that already.

- Oh no, Rose, not half enough.

Not of my own.

Without money I'll stay trapped here

in the fond embrace of my family

until I just fade away into nothingness.

I've got to escape.

- You don't have such a bad life.

- But I'm so useless.

And so bored. I have a horrible life.

- What about me, then?

- You've got a job to do, Rose.

How I envy you.

- It's yours any time you like, Miss Lizzie.

- You don't see how lucky you are.

- No, I don't.

Your frogged sealskin, Miss Elizabeth.

- I mean, when you've cleaned and dusted the morning room.

- And the drawing room and the stairs,

changed the linens, seen--

- You can say to yourself proudly, I, Rose Buck,

have done all this by myself.

Gosh, look at the time. I must dash or I'll be late.

Mr. Karekin likes punctuality.

- From what I've heard of him, that's not what all he likes.

You mark my words.

He'll want his pound of flesh.

- Rose, sometimes you really are rather a goose.

- I will not go.

- Margot, please.

You were not asked here in the first place,

and I thought we had agreed that it was wiser

not to meet again.

- I can't do without you.

- You've managed to do without my four or five predecessors.

- Oh, what a vile, cruel thing to say.

After all I've done for you.

Without me you wouldn't exist,

socially, I mean.

- And without me, you and your husband would be bankrupt

instead of very comfortably off, indeed.

It was a mutually convenient arrangement,

and it is now over.

- Oh, don't say that, please.

- I do say that.

[doorbell rings]

There's my visitor now. Please go.

- I shall wait for you in the bedroom.

- You will not.

- So I've been replaced already?

- If you don't go, immediately,

I shall telephone your husband.

- Dirty little Jew boy.

- Mrs. Kirbridge.

-[Julius] My dear Mrs. Kirbridge.

- Who was that?

- Ah, another lady seeking advice.

- You have a lot of ladies seeking advice.

- Of course.

There's, er, safety in numbers.

And, er,

I always try to please.

- She didn't look very pleased to me.

- Can you blame her?

Your youthful beauty would make

the moon, herself, pale with envy.

[laughing]

- What, on the nose trick.

Very ill-mannered to make a lady laugh

when she's drinking champagne.

- My humble apologies.

Oh.

You haven't done so badly this week.

East Rand Central made a nice spurt.

- But what about Balkan Oil and our poor concessions?

- I sold on Tuesday.

We can buy them back again when they hit the bottom.

Unfortunately, the market is very nervous at the moment.

If only the conservatives had won the election.

- Oh father and mother were desole, of course,

but I thought they did rather well.

After all, the liberals only have a tiny majority now.

- Oh, that's still dangerous

with that terrible little Welshman in the cabinet.

- I think he's rather funny.

Did you read what he said about dukes?

A fully equipped duke costs as much to keep up

as two dreadnolls, and dukes are just as great at error,

and they last longer.

- Hmm, all the same, Lloyd George and Churchill

are spending more on unemployment insurance

than they are on re-armaments.

They're pacifists at heart.

- But father says the Tories have been able

to force the government to re-arm the Turkish navy.

- Does he, indeed?

- Well, that should help our concessions.

- Yes, he

didn't say who had got the contract?

- I don't think so.

- Could it be Armstrong's?

- Armstrong's? What are they?

- You know, I think it's very fortunate for this country

that people like father and your grandfather

have always had such a say in defense matters.

- You seem to have studied the history of my family.

- Oh, I like to know the form before I place a bet.

- Are you betting on me?

- I may.

I've always found the combination of beauty and high birth

very attractive.

- Snob.

- Of course.

My father was an Armenian carpet merchant.

- I may be an earl's granddaughter, but I'm not beautiful.

[speaking foreign language]

Anyway, beauty's only sin-deep.

- Not original.

I, too, read the Westminster Gazette.

- Do you know, I think my parents

might almost approve of you.

Would you like to meet them?

- I would like to meet them,

but they wouldn't approve of me.

- How do you know?

- Well, because they would think as you thought

when you first met me, that I was a dirty, foreign Jew,

my hands soiled with filthy lucre trying to ingratiate

myself with them.

And they would be right.

Except for the fact that I'm not actually a Jew.

And they would immediately jump to the conclusion

that I have my cunning, predatory eye on their daughter.

- You're being absurd.

- Oh, no, I'm not.

- They would be right again.

That mouth,

those gray, green eyes.

The way your hair

grows off your forehead,

I find them

strangely disturbing.

- Rose said you'd want your pound of flesh.

- Rose,

not without a thorn.

[speaking foreign language]

- Julius, I have a daughter.

- Lots of married ladies have daughters.

- But she's not my husband's child.

She was a mistake.

- We won't make any mistakes,

Elizabeth.

- Morning, Miss Elizabeth.

[clock chimes]

[snoring]

- The light of all the love in the world

seemed to flood the lady's face.

She bent over and kissed him and smoothed his cheek

with her velvet cheek.

She moved so that her curly lashes

might touch his bare neck.

[moans]

Sh.

Then, a madness of tender caressing seized her.

She purred as a tiger might have done,

while she undulated like a snake.

She touched him with her fingertips.

She kissed his throat.

His wrists.

The palms of his hands.

His eyelids, his hair.

-[Julius] Here, here.

- Strange, subtle kisses sound like the kisses of women.

[laughing]

And often between her purrings, she muttered love words

in some strange, fierce language of her own.

[speaking foreign language]

What?

- It's an old Armenian love word.

[speaking foreign language]

[laughing]

Where did you get that trashy nonsense?

- From your bookcase,

presumably left here by one of your other ladies.

Well, you can hardly deny there were others.

- No, I don't. But never one like you.

- Ooh, I wonder how many times these walls

have heard that old line.

- Never, I swear it.

- Oh, you are a joker, not serious.

But I don't blame those other ladies.

You are utterly adorable.

- And you are ticklish.

- No, don't, don't, please!

[giggling]

- What I begin to wonder.

- Oh.

- Your parents.

Or do you often do this?

- You Armenian peasant.

Oh, Rose will make it all right.

Rose is a brick.

- You really trust Rose.

- I think she's the only person in this whole wide world

I really do trust.

- There you are, Mr. Hudson.

- Oh, thank you, Rose.

Oh, Rose?

I am informed by the kitchen that Miss Elizabeth

hasn't touched her breakfast.

- No, Mr. Hudson.

She isn't--

isn't feeling very peckish.

Just a little upset.

- Apparently Mrs. Kirbridge isn't feeling quite herself,

my lady, and she's spending the morning in bed.

- Oh, she should go see the doctor.

Well, I'll go up and see her.

- Rose also mentioned that Mrs. Kirbridge

was having a wee nap just at the moment, madame.

- Ah, well that's the best cure there is.

- Madame.

Good morning, sir. - Morning, Hudson.

Not going out, are you? - No, why?

- Geoffrey Dillon wants to see both of us.

- I can't think why me.

- Something about your father's will.

He's due at 11:30.

- I don't know where that man of mine

hides all my cravats.

- Why don't you ask him to come in and show you?

- Now, Elizabeth, that would hardly be right.

- I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

- Really, you have no sense of propriety.

- Oh, come back to me.

Forget the [mumbles] for just one day.

- You don't seem to understand,

the market has already been open for over an hour

and I missed one important meeting already.

Ah, and that Kafias consoles dividend

is being declined in an hour.

- Quelle disaster.

Think of all those lively but unreliable cafiers

running wild all over the floor of the stock exchange

without you there to calm them.

I know, I will come to the city with you.

One moment I shall be a bear, growling and snarling

and pulling down cafiers and consoles and foreign rails

by the millions, with my sharp, ruthless claws.

And the next moment I shall be a bull,

charging in among all those jobbers and brokers

and stuffy old top-hatters, tossing portfolios

of equities and industrials high in the air

with one flick of my gilt-edged sword.

- Goodbye, Elizabeth.

Loris will look after you.

- Can I come back?

- Of course, my darling.

- Tonight?

- Yes, not too early. After six.

- Now, under the terms of your father's will,

of which I am the executor,

the principal beneficiary is your brother Hugo,

the present Lord Sutfer.

- Yes, of course.

- Your mother has been amply provided for

and you, yourself, in effect, will cede John's legacy

under the terms of your marriage settlement.

I should explain about the estate,

the lands situated in Wiltshire, the freehold

property in London and Bristol,

the heirlooms, pictures, furniture,

et cetera, belonging to the family are entailed

on your brother and his heirs and are not

therefore realizable for the payment of vestiges.

Which, I'm sorry to say, are considerable

owing to the new and I'm bound to say punitive

legislation introduced by the present chancellor.

-[Marjorie] Oh, that thief, Lloyd George.

- Right.

- In a codicil to his will, your father

laid it upon me as a trust that the estate

should be handed over free of all debt

so that on his succession to the earldom,

Lord Ashby should be clear of all financial embarrassment.

-[Marjorie] We all know Hugo's in debt.

- Over 100,000 pounds.

- What?

- I have to raise a great deal of money,

quickly and in cash.

Now, there are 17 lease-hold properties,

all here in Westminster purchased by your father,

Lady Marjorie, in 1872 and not within the entail.

I shall be forced to put them on the market immediately.

This house is among them.

I thought you should be acquainted with this fact at once.

- You mean, you're going to sell this house?

-[Geoffrey] The remaining 60 odd years of the lease.

- But my father meant me to have this house

for my lifetime.

He's often told me so. You can't sell it.

- I'm afraid I can and must.

His assurance to you, though I'm sure it was sincere

at the time, is not reflected in his will,

nor was his intention incorporated

in your marriage settlement.

- I'm sure we pay Hugo a proper rent,

he'll agree to let us go on living here.

- Yes, I'll talk to him when he gets back from Canada.

- Elusive as your brother is apt to prove,

I have been able to contact him

while he was staying in a town called Canterbury

for some cattle show.

He will not be returning before the summer

and he has accepted my suggestions in their entirety.

- Then I shall also contact him immediately.

- That is well.

Naturally you will be offered first refusal

on the purchase of these.

- For how much?

- On the open market it should realize some 5,600 pounds.

- Five thousand six hundred pounds?

We shall have to pay for it out of my wife's

marriage settlement.

- Not unless you make abdication to break the trust,

which I, as a trustee, should strongly oppose.

As you very well know, Richard,

the capital is settled on your two children,

though of course, Lady Marjorie,

you receive the interest on your lifetime.

- What would you advise, Sir Geoffrey?

- In this matter, I am acting on behalf of

the Suthold Estate.

It would be most improper, not to say unethical,

for me to offer advice of any kind.

I must be on my way.

I'm sorry to bring you news which I realize

can hardly be agreeable, but I have my duty to do.

- Goodbye.

- Oh, Hudson, please show Sir Geoffrey out.

-[Hudson] Yes, sir.

- If you'd care to consider the matter

and let me know your decision within, say, two weeks?

Goodbye, Richard.

-[Richard] Goodbye.

- There's no other way.

We'll just have to raise the money, that's all.

Don't you agree?

- I think it best, until we've given some thought to this

not to mention it to the children, or the servants.

- I'm so happy, Rose.

I'm sorry I've shocked you,

but I've never been so happy ever before in my whole life.

I'm tingling all over with happiness

and I don't feel the tiniest pang of remorse or guilt or,

oh don't go, Rosie, you're the only person I can talk to.

- Am I? What about him, then?

- He laughed when I told him about you

saying he'd want his pound of flesh.

- I'm sure he did.

- I wonder why bodies are so important.

He says, there can be no real love

until two bodies are joined together in perfect union.

- Is that what you're gonna tell your parents?

- Oh, they mustn't know, Rose.

-[Rose] How do you think I'm gonna keep--

- And none of the other servants.

Oh, not that they could ever find out.

- Oh? That's what her ladyship thought.

But we all knew about her and the captain.

- What did you say, Rose?

- Nothing.

- What did you say?

- Nothing. - Tell me.

I've told me my secrets, now you tell me yours.

Rose!

- Where's Elizabeth?

- She's not down yet.

Fancy she's not feeling very well.

- What, again?

I hope there's nothing really wrong with that girl.

- No, I think it's just, well,

she's very highly strung.

- As though we haven't worry enough.

- She's been through a lot.

- Of course she's been through a lot.

And who's fault was that? Not ours, surely.

- It's no good bringing all that up.

We've got to go on helping her.

- I'm sorry, I thought we were.

We provide food and lodging for her and her child,

not to speak of nanny and nursery maid.

We pay her husband a reasonable pension to keep him happy,

and I still pay her allowance.

In spite of the fact that she's married, 23,

has capital of her own, and I--

Morning, Elizabeth.

- Good morning, mother.

Good morning, father.

- And how are you feeling, darling? A little better?

- What?

Oh, yes, much better, thank you mother.

It was just a, I don't quite know what it was.

- Luncheon is served, my lady.

- Thank you, Hudson. There we are, come along.

- Father, I want to ask you something.

- Uh?

- When we have the tax to build our lovely new navy,

who do you think is going to get the contract?

- What an extraordinary question.

Well, since you want to know,

I feel fairly sure it will be Armstrong's.

- It is Armstrong's.

- You're brilliant, now. Don't take off your coat.

We're going out.

- Where? What for?

- Oh, I think you deserve a present.

- A present, what sort of a present, Julius?

- Oh, a very special sort of present.

- Tell, please.

- Oh, no, no. Come and see for yourself.

-[Elizabeth] Well, it's a hat shop.

-[Julius] Yes.

I've bought it, as an investment,

together with what I'm sure

is a very competent staff.

-[Elizabeth] They're rather dull, old hats.

-[Julius] Yes, that's what I thought.

-[Elizabeth] What's it called?

-[Julius] Whatever you like.

- Whatever I like?

- It's yours, if you want it.

- Of course I want it. I adore hats.

I've always adored hats, oh Julius, I can't believe it.

- Paint it any color you like.

Choose whatever hats you like.

- Oh, you are a darling.

I shall make it the smartest, the chicest,

the Frenchest hat shop in London.

Is it really a present?

- Mm, shall we say a loan?

- A hat shop? But darling, how quite extraordinary.

- Sounds great fun. Whatever gave you the idea?

- I happened to meet someone who offered me the job

and, I do need something to do.

-[Marjorie] Yes, but--

- I'll be back in time to see the baby in the evenings

and I'll have half a day a week and every weekend.

- It's just that I've never thought of--

- Your daughter running a hat shop.

- You're out of date, my dear.

It's all the fashion to have a shop these days.

- Where is your shop, darling?

- It's just off Brook Street.

- Brook Street?

[speaking foreign language]

- Oh.

-[Richard] What's it called?

- I haven't really thought.

- You haven't thought?

- They're letting me rename it,

to give it a new, sort of fresh look.

What do you think of Madame Lisette?

- Well, I really don't know, darling.

I've never had to name a hat shop.

- What about Paris Modes?

Mode de Paris.

- No, no, it must be Madame something.

They always are.

- What about, er, Madame Yvonne. There's French for you.

- Madame--

- I know what made you think of that.

When I first met your father in Paris,

he had a dreadful common girlfriend called Yvonne.

- She was the daughter of a minister.

- She was still common. And she had dyed hair.

- Well, I admit. I'd done better.

- I should hope so.

- Father's dreadful common girlfriend

shall be immortalized.

Madame Yvonne it is.

- Can I help you, madame?

- Well, I read about this place in the sketch.

It's all very nice and modern, I must say, like it said.

And now, I want something really nice from Paris.

Let's try that one.

I don't mind paying if it's the right thing.

That's what my husband always says.

You've got to pay for quality.

- Oh, now we could make a good copy of that one.

I know a buyer who has some wonderful feathers,

really very cheap.

- Wouldn't it be easier just to go to Paris

and buy half a dozen of each?

- Oh, no, madame.

I mean, the prices they charge are ruinous.

Some people go over and just buy one, as a model, to copy.

- Is that allowed?

- Well, who's to stop it?

I mean, only one in a hundred hats sold in London

is actually made in France.

The important thing is that the customers think they are.

- And can say they are to their friends.

- Of course.

You know, madame, we should be thinking about Ascot.

- Ascot, in February?

Look, we've got a customer.

- Just watch and listen, madame.

Keep yourself in reserve for the coup de gras.

- Oh, if you ask me, I look a bit like an old hayrick.

- Perhaps something a little more important, madame.

Ah.

[speaking foreign language]

Lady Ripan chose one in this style only this morning.

- Oh, well if Lady's Ripan's got one, I don't want--

- Oh, but of course, not in the same material.

- Ah.

- Now, let me see.

Perhaps

a bow

here,

and enriched with some pink feathers.

- Ah, that's more like it, eh?

- Charming.

- It's for our do.

Well, it's a housewarming, really.

We've just got a big place in the country.

And I've had Maples do it throughout,

and all the gentry are coming.

Oh, yes.

That goes nicely with my sables.

- Yes, indeed.

- There's not many ladies got nicer sables than these.

My husband, Sir Albert Spennilove.

You'll have heard of him, no doubt.

He was knighted in the last year's Honors List.

He don't skimp me for nothing.

- Madame Yvonne.

- Oh.

- Lady Spennilove.

- Well, what do you think of it, Madame Yvonne?

- Oh, it's perfect for the big occasion.

- I'll take it.

Now how much?

- Five and a half guineas.

- Oh.

Well, it's er, it's stylish, there's no doubt of that.

- It's straight from Paris.

- Make it pounds for cash and I'll wear it.

- Very well.

Suzanne, would you wrap Lady Spennilove's hat?

- Oh, thank you.

Do you know, I'd have taken you for a lady anywhere.

- Well, I suppose I am one, really.

- Well, fancy waiting on other ladies

when you've got your girls.

- I don't tie bows for everyone, Lady Spennilove,

only important customers.

- I must talk to you, madame, when you have a moment.

- Would you excuse me?

- Well, that's all right. We'll manage.

- Suzanne, look after Lady Spennilove.

- That customer who's just come in,

she's been sued by every milliner in London.

Owes hundreds.

In my last place, we took her to court

and were granted judgment, but we never saw a penny

and never will.

So, madame, whatever you do, don't give her credit.

- I think I know her.

- Mrs. Descort.

So sorry to keep you waiting, madame.

- This one's really too hideous,

but I'll take the other four.

You'll kindly have them sent round to my address.

You do know it, I think.

- Oui, madame.

But I am afraid in this establishment

we do not allow customers credit.

- Who's in charge of this establishment?

- Madame Yvonne.

- I am informed you don't allow customers credit.

- That is correct, madame.

- Then very soon, you will have no customers.

I happen to know who owns this shop.

I think an exception can be made.

- I am in charge, and I'm sorry,

I cannot give you credit, madame.

- Excuse me!

- Aren't you the Bellamy girl?

- Yes, madame.

- Ah.

- Mrs. Descort.

- Madame.

- She's stolen that hat.

- Her own has seven feathers.

Properly dressed, they're worth far more

than the one she's taken.

She won't get them back 'till she's paid the bill,

which is never.

- You're very clever, mademoiselle.

- You have to be, madame, to survive in this business.

-[Hudson] Well, I never thought the day would come

in my time when a member of this family would go into trade.

-[Rose] Oh, it's considered quite respectable

these days, Mr. Hudson.

- Well, in my opinion, it's yet another manifestation

of the slackness in moral values that has been

spreading over this country like a malignant disease

during this present reign.

The scum of the earth, having possessed themselves

of their ill-gotten gains in the slaughterhouses of Chicago

and the back streets of Johannesburg, come to this country

and receive the homage of society.

They even buy their way into the drawing rooms

of the families of our ancient aristocracy.

[bell rings]

Morning room.

Lady Marjorie has a caller.

- I'm so sorry to have been the bearer

of such unpleasant news.

- Not at all.

It was very good of you to take the trouble to call.

If I had a daughter, myself,

I know how distressed I should be.

The man really is an absolute outsider.

Peter and I-- - Quite.

Hudson, Mrs. Descort is leaving.

Goodbye, Mrs. Descort.

- Goodbye, Lady Marjorie.

- I've been to see Evans at the bank.

There's not a hope in hell of raising that money.

I think it's absolutely monstrous

Hugo treating you like this, his own sister.

- He probably couldn't help it.

- Of course he could help it.

The price of this house means nothing to him,

nothing at all.

He could happily move that amount in one evening

playing cards.

He's thoughtless, that's his trouble. Always has been.

- It's no good getting cross about it.

- No.

- We're very lucky to have lived free all these years.

We'll just have to use some capital.

- Well, we can't touch your marriage settlement.

I really think Dillon might have done something about that.

Are you listening, Marjorie?

- I'm sorry.

- There's not that much of our own left to play with.

It's been dwindling away at quite an alarming rate

these last few years.

- Surely we could borrow something,

other than from the bank?

- Only at an extremely high rate of interest,

which I simply can't afford.

Marjorie, we must find somewhere cheaper to live.

- Do you really think that'll be necessary?

- Yes, I do.

- Where?

- Well,

there are some very nice squares in Paddington.

- Oh no, Richard. Not north of the park.

- Chelsea?

- Only hooligans and artists live in Chelsea.

- Kensington.

- I had a governess once, lived in Kensington.

Oh dear, how depressing.

- Yes, I'm afraid it is.

Who was your caller?

- A woman called Mrs. Descort.

- Oh, of course, I thought I recognized the face.

At least she gives poor Peter Descort the hell of a time.

She was hailing a cab. Quite extraordinary.

- She came to tell me that Elizabeth

is living with a man called Julius Karekin.

- Do you really think that's true?

She's a dreadful gossip.

- Well, why should she bother to lie about it?

- I don't know.

I read the Descorts have been running this Karekin fellow

for all they're worth.

They haven't got a bean.

- And he's quite beyond the pale.

A foreign commerciant straight from the gutter.

- Better the gutter than suburbia.

- It's not a joke, Richard.

I imagine there's been some sort of bust-up

with this woman and she's hell bent on revenge.

If Elizabeth has to misbehave,

why can't she choose someone of her own class?

- I suppose it's bound to get around.

- If you hired the town crier,

you couldn't do better than Margot Descort.

-[Clerk] Oh, I'm so sorry, madame,

I'm afraid we are closed.

-[Marjorie] It's, quite all right.

I've just come to see my daughter, Mrs. Kirbridge.

-[Clerk] Oh, I'm ever so sorry.

-[Marjorie] Thank you so much.

Elizabeth.

- Mother!

Oh,

how lovely to see you.

Oh, I wish you'd come earlier.

Let me show you everything.

- Elizabeth, who does this shop belong to?

- Why do you want to know that?

- Because I do.

Your father and I have heard a rumor.

- Oh, it's that Descort woman, I might have guessed.

-[Marjorie] I don't happen to like or trust

or believe Mrs. Descort.

- But you listen to her gossip.

- I had no choice.

And all the rest of London in a few days.

- This shop belongs to Mr. Julius Karekin,

and I am his mistress.

Or, as Mrs. Descort might have put it, his kept woman,

as she was before me.

But, I expect you guessed all that already.

Because you don't know him,

you think he's a common little foreign upstart

businessman and dishonest, at that.

Because I know him, I can tell you

that he's funny and intelligent and generous,

and as much of a gentleman as any of your friends

and I've never been so happy in my life.

I knew that you and father wouldn't approve of him.

That's why I didn't tell you about him.

Look, you better come inside.

Oh, don't worry Mother,

you needn't look over your shoulder.

He's not about to pounce on you from the shadows.

He's not coming this evening.

He's got a dinner or something.

- Don't you see?

He's just a climber. He's using you.

- Of course.

I'm using him. We're very frank about it.

- You can never marry him, darling.

- No, that's a definite asset in both our eyes.

- Don't you see what damage it will do?

- Oh, you mean to you?

To the family [mumbles].

I should have thought that after all my previous

misdemeanors, there was hardly a square inch

left for me to blot.

Or is it done?

- Oh, Elizabeth, please be serious.

It's yourself you're damaging, your whole future.

You'll become an outcast.

You'll lose all your friends.

- Perhaps I shall discover who my real friends are.

-[Marjorie] You won't be received in society.

You won't be able to go anywhere ever again.

- Oh, if you mean set my foot on the squadron lawn

or strut about like a bedraggled peahen

on the royal enclosured Ascot, I shall be delighted.

-[Marjorie] Of course I didn't mean--

- And the thought of spending endless weekends

making polite conversation with the hunters and shooters

makes me positively groan with boredom.

- But darling, if you ever wanted to get married again--

- You've just said it, Mother.

I'm unmarriageable.

By an unfortunate accident, I have a child by another man

and my husband knows about it.

While we keep his mouth shut with a comfortable pension,

do you think Lawrence is going to give me

grounds to divorce?

Why should he?

And if I ask him to divorce me,

I would be just as much a scarlet woman as I am now.

The only hope of getting free seems to be

to go out and shoot him.

Oh, Lawrence's head would make a nice trophy.

I wonder how many points he'll make.

-[Marjorie] Don't be ridiculous.

- Oh, don't you see, Mother?

I'm trapped.

Do you want me to sit at home forever

and wither away 'till I'm a bitter old maid like

Princess Victoria?

It's all so unfair.

If I were a man, it wouldn't matter a bit.

Uncle Hugo spent his whole life seducing every woman

in sight and everyone thinks he's a hell of a fellow.

But I get pilloried because I go to bed

with a man that I like very much.

- I know, but you should try to

discipline yourself, darling.

Hundreds of women are in the same position.

- They're miserable.

I'm happy.

Anyway, perhaps they don't feel as I do.

Why doesn't somebody tell girls about their bodies?

- You learn about that sort of thing naturally

when you're married.

- Advice to an English maiden on her marriage bed,

shut your eyes, grit your teeth, and Rule Brittania.

- Don't be vulgar.

- I didn't learn anything on my marriage bed.

- I know, darling, your father and I know

what you've been through and of course we want you

to be happy.

But this is just a silly infatuation.

- You're so much more beautiful than I am.

- Nonsense.

- You're attractive.

Haven't you ever had an infatuation?

- I've never given way to a mere indulgence.

- Was Captain Hammond not a mere indulgence?

- How on earth do you know about Captain Hammond?

- Rose told me.

She didn't mean to. It was just an accident.

It just slipped out.

And it wasn't just Rose, all the servants knew.

Don't you see? We're the same sort of people, really.

- I'm not very proud of my friendship with Charles Hammond.

But I stopped in time.

I realized what a lot I had to lose.

- I have nothing to lose that I care about.

-[Marjorie] Your self respect.

- I think I've gained that.

- I never let it become a scandal.

I stuck to the rules.

- Oh, your rules. What hypocrisy.

So long as nobody knows about it, it's all right.

- That's just what Charles said.

- Did he? I'd liked to have met him.

-[Marjorie] He's dead.

- You were lucky you had such loyal servants

and such a devoted husband.

- Your father doesn't know about it.

He must never know.

- Oh, I won't tell him.

But I bet he did know.

Father's deep, he doesn't miss much.

But he'd never do anything to hurt you.

- I know.

Elizabeth, do something for me.

I've brought the car with me.

Come home with me.

-[Elizabeth] If you will receive Julius.

Give him a chance.

- Not in any circumstances.

It wouldn't--

it wouldn't do, darling.

- You'd best wash your hands of me, Mother.

You'll be much happier.

Oh, god, help me.

- It's a great pity you had to have a disagreement

with your mother.

- Oh, we're always disagreeing. We're like that.

It's no good not being honest, is it?

- Mm, perhaps not, but it's easy enough to break a bridge.

And it takes a long time to build it again.

- If you'd heard the things she said about you.

She doesn't even know you.

- It's quite, quite usual.

- Well, it shouldn't be.

Why are people always so beastly?

- People like your mother, all her class of persons,

they are frightened and a little jealous of us.

- Jealous.

- Yes, yes as a threat to what Lord Northcliff's

young men are pleased to call the bastions of privilege.

Our success in commerce is beginning to give us

an influence in the running of the country

and they see us as a threat to their absolute power

over government, over society,

something which they have come to regard as theirs,

absolutely, by some divine right.

That's why they pretend that anyone who works in commerce

and makes money must be unclean and untouchable.

They don't believe it, of course, but it's a way of

protecting their

their bastions.

- It's all nonsense.

- Of course.

Look, there's Rose.

- May I help you, mademoiselle?

- I was just lookin'--

- Oh, how lovely to see you.

Come in.

Now, you know Mr., oh yes of course you do.

- How do you do, sir?

- Hello, Rose.

- I've got to talk to you, please, Miss Elizabeth.

- Oh, it's quite all right, Rose.

- Well,

it looks like we've got to leave 165.

- Got to leave the house? Why?

- Well, I've only got it from Mr. Hudson so far,

but he says your uncle, Lord Ashby,

I should say Lord Southhold, says your parents

have got to buy the lease or something

and your pa says they can't afford it.

And the lawyer's there and everything.

- How incredible.

- They've been out all morning looking at houses

in Kensington.

- Can you see mother in Kensington?

- Well, there must be something there and that's a fact,

'cause Mr. Hudson had us all in for a lecture

about tightening our belts, wasting not and wanting not,

and I'm maybe gonna lose my housemaid.

Mr. Watkins is worried they might sell the Rolls,

and Mrs. Bridges is in a terrible state

'cause they've cut her cream to two pints a day.

She's talking about retirement

and boarding houses by the sea.

I think you ought to come home, Miss Elizabeth.

- Yes, Rose, so do I.

Look, while I pack a few things,

you go and choose a hat for yourself.

- Oh.

- Any one you like.

- No, Miss Elizabeth, I can't.

- Of course you can. I want to give you one.

Mademoiselle?

- Oui, madame.

- This is a friend of mine, Miss Buck.

- Bonjour.

- I want her to choose any hat in the shop that she likes.

- Of course, madame.

Miss Buck, please.

- I must go back.

You do see that, Julius? I must rush back with Rose.

- Yes, you must go, but not rush.

We live our lives in a series of rushes,

like the infant Moses.

- That's not original. I, too, read the Westminster Gazette.

- As I imagine Mr. Hudson would say,

more haste, less speed.

Now, let's just think about it very carefully.

Like Rose is thinking about that hat.

-[Geoffrey] I see from your letter that you don't wish

to make an offer for the lease of this house.

- That is correct.

Quite simply, we can't afford it.

- You are quite sure?

There's still time to change your mind.

In that case, I have a purchaser.

- Already?

- Oh, yes indeed.

A very good property at a very good price.

Soon snapped up.

- How soon do we have to leave, to give--

-[Geoffrey] Vacant possession?

- Yes, vacant possession.

- I'm not sure that that will be necessary now.

- What on earth do you mean?

- I took the liberty of bringing the prospective

purchaser with me.

- I was eavesdropping at the keyhole. It's me!

- Elizabeth? I--

Now if this is some sort of elaborate game,

I'm going to be very--

- No, honestly Father, the house is to be mine.

- She knows she can't touch the marriage settlement money.

- It's a present

from Julius.

- Elizabeth, you can't possibly let him.

- But you can't stop him, Mother. Can she, Sir Geoffrey?

- The deed of gift is already being drafted.

And I am going to give it to you.

I know how much you love this house and so do I

and so does James, and think of all the money

you've spent on me over the years and Lucy.

Well, it's the least I could do to try

and repay you a little.

- I don't know what to say. I really don't.

I'd have to speak to your father about it.

- Well, don't be too long

or I shall let it to somebody else.

- Richard, we can't possibly accept.

- Now, just a moment dearest, just a moment.

Geoffrey, are you quite sure this is all right?

- Mr. Karekin has already put down a deposit

and is quite ready to complete.

Assigning the lease by deed of gift to Mrs. Kirbridge.

- Sir Geoffrey, what sort of man is he?

- Very agreeable, very able.

One of the most able men in the city of London, I'm told.

And becoming a very rich one.

- You got along with him all right, did you?

- My dear Richard, in my profession

it would be unwise not to get along all right

with a very able, rich man.

And if I may say so, this is the sort of man

who can be very useful to the conservative party

in the future.

Very useful, indeed.

- Well, Rose, I must say I find it all very peculiar.

Very peculiar, indeed.

Still, it's not our place to question

the family's financial arrangements.

We should thank God for small blessings.

- Small blessings?

It's a bloody great big blessing.

- Yes, quite.

[doorbell rings]

The front door.

Rose, you must bring up the tea directly.

Those were her ladyship's orders.

-[Marjorie] Do try some of Mrs. Bridge's seed cake, Julius.

It's absolutely scrumptious.

- Thank you.

- I'm so glad you were able to visit us, Mr. Karekin.

-[Julius] The pleasure is mutual, Lady Marjorie,

I assure you.

- I wonder if you would care to come

and have luncheon with me one day in the House of Commons.

There are one or two people I'd very much like you to meet.

- I shall be delighted, Mr. Bellamy.

-[Richard] Well, that's splendid.

Now, apart from a good lunch, I hope you'll find...

[stately music]